Essex branch HO v4

[nuno81291]

Yes, and since I'm loosely rooted in the mid/late 80's I think it would be semi viable considering Billerica shops were still in use at that time I believe (transfer tables and massive shop buildings). The other thing this has going for it is my GFs approval of stashing a steam engine for an excursion train there. Hell if North Walpole can have a turntable I can too    And yes to accurately depict a Guilford deadline I wound need to have more engines that don't run on the property than do, perhaps I can squeeze the roundhouse to the left a few inches to run a scenic deadline behind it. Some tall grass, and a handful of faded and rusty units frozen in time  .

Check that photo I posted of Waterville, Ed. Mid 80's 2x MEC, 2x Guilford, a B&M and a D&H unit! Guilford was colorful.. I will need to light my roundhouse for a similar sort of vibe.

[C855B]

A buddy and I were railfanning around Bangor in 1980 or '81, and both the MEC and BAR had active turntables/roundhouses. I think the extreme weather had a role in encouraging covered parking. I can't recall if we stopped in at Waterville since we were dodging snow showers.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Check that photo I posted of Waterville, Ed. Mid 80's 2x MEC, 2x Guilford, a B&M and a D&H unit! Guilford was colorful.. I will need to light my roundhouse for a similar sort of vibe.

It really WAS wild. Wow. I'm currently working my way through a pile of Railpaces from 1984, 85 and 86. There is plenty of Guilford coverage, and jeez, what a crazy railroad. Especially during its D&H period.

[garethashenden]

Wow, Guilford really IS a time capsule.

Concern withdrawn 

They just bought some "new" Dash 8-40Cs 

[nuno81291]

With reference photos in hand and Ed's blessing I'm going to call this project a go.  I will have to notify the track gang of the task ahead... yes this expansion is very much against the Guilford axiom of minimal maintenance followed by filing for abandonment.  this is a chainsaw layout until I buy a home with room for a larger HO layout one day in the next few years may see the abandonment of the Essex branch.

[coosvalley]

The early Guilford era was awesome, so many cool paint schemes and patch outs.. I'd go so far as to say it was the 2nd most colorful 'rainbow" era, the creation of Conrail being the winner...

These are some videos from the 80's made by the BMMRRHS, and if you like rainbow eras , you'll like em..

[wazzou]

The early Guilford era was awesome, so many cool paint schemes and patch outs.. I'd go so far as to say it was the 2nd most colorful 'rainbow" era, the creation of Conrail being the winner...

Hey now, you cannot forget the Burlington Northern merger when discussing rainbows.

[coosvalley]

Hey now, you cannot forget the Burlington Northern merger when discussing rainbows.

I didn't!..I would rate it 3rd! .(YMMV!!)...Guilford bought a bunch of used locos, and patched them, which added to the rainbow...I have learned that during the BN merger, patchouts were not very common(but did happen)...



I say the roundhouse is a good call, littered with dead locos!..Make sure the roundhouse is in poor condition...

Amazingly, they still sorta use the wooden roundhouse in Rumford, Me!

[nkalanaga]

Patchouts were very rare during the BN merger.  Generally, heralds were removed, if they were plaques and not painted on, and the numbers were removed.  Renumbering was done very neatly, usually on the cab or sometimes the long hood, with a 7 inch(?) number and 4 inch(?) "BN".  Those were usually white, but were black on the SP&S locos, and the CB&Q stainless steel passenger units.

There was no attempt to erase the predecessors, and if old numbers/names were painted out, it was almost always with matching paint.

[garethashenden]

Patchouts were very rare during the BN merger.  Generally, heralds were removed, if they were plaques and not painted on, and the numbers were removed.  Renumbering was done very neatly, usually on the cab or sometimes the long hood, with a 7 inch(?) number and 4 inch(?) "BN".  Those were usually white, but were black on the SP&S locos, and the CB&Q stainless steel passenger units.

There was no attempt to erase the predecessors, and if old numbers/names were painted out, it was almost always with matching paint.

That's the complete opposite of what Guilford did. Check out this SD26 they bought from the Santa Fe. They took some Boston & Maine blue paint and a brush and put a vaguely horizontal line through Santa Fe on the side and the logo on the nose. Then they brushed on ST above the number.


The blue stripe shows up better in this one.

[nuno81291]

  I have an sd26...will need a Santa Fe unit to lash it up with

[Guilford Guy]

East Deerfield still has a turntable, and the president is pushing for it's repair, though it is still used. If you want to get prototypical, get a remote control bucket loader and some scale chain, to spin the turntable bridge... 

[nuno81291]

Ok tomorrow is the big day, the shipment from MB Klein is due and I will begin the new frame for the addition and the minimal modification to the existing layout.

I decided it is time to forge ahead on the control front and thought I would run this plan by the group. I plan for turnout control via 3 panels on the fascia, 1 for the "east" end of the yard, the "west" end, and the town. I am leaning toward the NCE switch-8 + button board and Switch-it for handling my turnouts. I picked these because cost wise they seem a good deal, and the manuals seem fairly straight forward to a Luddite like myself. I plan to use momentary sprung SPDTs and red/green LEDs on the panels for turnout indication. I figure a Switch 8 covers the town, a second covers the East yard and 2x switch-its manage the west end. In addition to fascia panels, I would like to create routes with my MRC system.

I already ran a second bus for DC power to the fascia mounted DPDTs I have been using for my tortoises, perhaps I can use this as an accessory bus for LED lighting for scenery. I am unsure if I need to connect the 3 NCE decoders to the track bus or if powering them on my second bus would suffice. (they are switchable DC/DCC I gather).

I was also pondering options for a second cab. MRC wireless seems to be about 130 at MicroMark, but perhaps I could dip into JMRI for Wifi Throttle by purchasing the MRC wireless interface ($70). My GF likes the idea of using smartphones versus the cab she finds clunky. The only noticeable feature JMRI does not support with MRC seems to be consisting. The idea of a second MRC cab is appealing to me however.

As far as JMRI goes...unless I want to use Wifi throttle, set up dispatching, or get into signal automation I don't need to consider setting up for it do I? Turnout control will be enough of a challenge for me...I would like to get some sort of simple automated signalling in the future. 

With only 3.5 amps on my MRC system perhaps I should be thinking about adding a booster?

Here is an updated trackplan:

[Chris333]

So what about the N scale quarry layout? 

[nuno81291]

So what about the N scale quarry layout? 

It has been shelved in the garage until warmer weather prevails. A ton of foam and plaster work todo more than I think I can keep under control in my layout room. Will set it up in the spring to do the mess outside.